Key indicator



Dec. '16, 1947- s. BLOOMFI'ELD 2,432,498

KEY INDICATOR Filed Aug. 24, 1945 BY A HTTO NEY.

Patented Dec. 16, 1941 KEY INDICATOR Samuel Bloomfield, Wichita, Rana,assignor to 0. Earl Hovey, trustee, Kansas City, Mo.

Application "august 24,1945, SerialNp. 612,427

1 Claims. (01. 4o-2) This invention relates to a new article ofmanufacture in the nature of an attachable indicator for keys or similarelements ,where it is desired to provide means for identifying the samethrough the sense of touch.

The primary aim of the invention is to provide a key indicatorconstructed for easy attachment to the handle portion of a lock key asit is hun upon a key ring or within a key case to the end that the userthereof may identify any of the keys of the collection when it becomes:necessary to select one for use in a lock and where it is impossible toview the key for visual recognition.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide a keyindicator that is positive in its gripping action after application tothe key; that is small, unobtrusive and does not hinder the free use ofthe key to which it is attached;

that is attachable without the use of special tools or equipment andthat is of such a size and contour as to permit a number thereof to beapplied to keys for purpose of further identifying the keys of a groupwith respect to each other.

Other aims and important objects of the invention will appear during thecourse of the following specification referring to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an edge eievational view of a door key showing a key indicatormade in accordance with the present invention aflixed thereto forpurpose of identifying the same.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the key and indicator assemblyshown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the key indicator per seshowing the same entirely removed from its operative association with akey.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the key indicator.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of a key indicator made in accordancewith a modified form of the invention, and

Fig. 7 is a side elevatlonal view of the key indicator shown in'Fig. 6.

It has heretofore been customary to identify keys by placing numeralsthereon or by attaching tags with designating indicia' that would teachthe, user of several keys the particular lock wrdch the keys fit.Objections are present when ioilcwing the customary course as just setdown or when otherwise making efiort toidentify keys particularlybecause the individual keys are not visible in the dark and the keyscannot be distlished through the sense of touch. It is also inconvenientto prepare and condition the keys wit numerals or tags and therefore,the keys means of indication.

Because the indicator made pursuant to this invention may be quicklyattached and further because a number of the relatively small indicatorsmay be aflixed to a key, the commercialization of the invention has metwith favor.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, aconventional door key ill is equipped with an indicator broadlydesignated by' the numeral l2 and comprising a hollow case of drawnmetal to present a head It and a pair of arms it between which arms thekey is positioned when the indicator is moved to the operative location.These arms 16 are resilient, and during the formation of the indicatorthe distance between said arms i8 is made slightly less than thethickness of the conventional key. A spacer IS in the form of a sphereor ball-bearing having a diameter substantially the same or minutelygreater than the thickness of the material from which the keys are madeis interposed between arms I 6 to facilitat the introduction of key l0therebetween. When such introduction is made and during the applicationof the indicator .to key l0, spacer I8 is rolled into hollow head i4 andthere confined. Under some conditions the spacer 18 may be moved frombetween its position between arms i5 and thrown away. Under anyconsideration the spacer must be capable of holding arms l8 far enoughapart to permit the convenient and easy assembly of key and indicator asjust above set down.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, theindicator case has a hollow head 52 and a pair of substantially parallelopposed arms 5| held apart by a spacer 58 which, in this particularinstance, is struck from one of arms 54 and bent inwardly to a pointwhere the said arms are held apart a distance slightly greater than thethickness of the material from which the key is made. When the key isintroduced between arms 54, spacer 56 is moved back toward its originalposition in a plane with one of arms 54 and there remains so long as theindicator is in use. In some instances, keys ill have a marginal head 58thereon and under that condition the free end of spacer it bears againstthe bead 58 as illustrated in dotted lines of Fig. 6. A number ofindicators may be applied at the periphery of the key handle and sincethe bulk of the indicator is not great enough to effect handling of thekey nor present objections when carrying the same, the indicator is ahighly desirable article of manufacture.

The indicator is sold in quantities and applied by the user to the keysin any number needed to fully indicate to him the locks to which theindividual keys apply.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patcm; is:

1. A key indicator comprising a body provided with opposed spaced apartparts for gripping the key to which it is applied, the space betweensaid parts being less than the thickness of the key; and a displaceablemember between the opposed parts for holding the latter in spacedrelation greater than the thickness of said key before the key iintroduced therebetween, said body having a tubular portionextendingbeyond the dge of the key when the indicator is in operative position.

2. A key indicatorcomprising a body provided with opposed spaced apart,resilient parts for gripping the key to which it is applied, the spacebetween said parts being less than the thickness of the key; and adisplaceable member between the opposed parts for holding the latter inspaced relation greater than the thickness of said key before the key isintroduced therebetween, said body having a tubular portion extendingbeyond the edge of the key when the indicator is in operative position,said member being shiftable by the key as it is moved between the parts.

3. A key indicator comprising a body provided with opposed spaced apart,resilient parts for gripping the key to which it is applied, the spacebetween said parts being less than the thickness of the key; and adisplaceable member between the opposed parts for holding the latter inspaced relation greater than the thickness of said key before the key isintroduced therebetween, said body having a tubular portion extendingbeyond the edge of the key when the indicator is in operative position,said member being shiftable by the key as it is moved between the parts,the space between said parts where the member is absent being slightlyless than the thickness of the key with which the indicator is to beused.

4. A key indicator comprising a body provided with opposed spaced apart,resilient parts for gripping the key to which it is applied, the spacebetween said parts being less than the thickness of the key; and adisplaceable member between the opposed parts for holding the latter inspaced relation greater than the thickness of said key before the key isintroduced therebetween, said body having a tubular portion extendingbeyond the edge of the key when the indicator is in operative position,said member being shiftable by the key as it is moved between the parts,said displaceable member being a spherical unit.

5. A key indicator comprising a body provided with opposed spaced apart,resilient parts for gripping the key to which it is applied, the space 4between said parts being less than the thickness of the key; and adisplaceable member between the opposed parts for holding the latter inspaced relation greater than the thickness of said key before the key isintroduced therebetween, said body having a tubular portion extending'beyond the edge of the key when the indicator is in operative position,said member being shiftable by the key as it is moved between the parts,said displaceable member being a spherical unit, said body having acavity provided therein in communication with the space between saidparts to receive the spherical unit-as the same is moved from a positionbetween the parts by the key to which the indicator is being applied.

6. A key indicator comprising a body provided with opposed spaced apart,resilient parts for gripping the key to which it is applied, t Spacebetween said parts being less than the thickness of the key; and adisplaceable member between the opposed parts for holding the latter inspaced relation greater than the thickness of said key before the key isintroduced therebetween, said body having a tubular portion extendingbeyond the edge of the key when the indicator is in operative position,said member being shiftable by the key as it is moved between the parts,said displaceable 'member being an ear struck from one of the said partsand having its free end against the other part before the key isintroduced between the parts, said ear being bendable and having Saidfree end against one face of the key to exert gripping pressurethereagainst when the key is between the parts.

7.As a new article of manufacture, an indicator adapted for attachmentto the thing to be identified, comprising a body having a hollow headand a pair of opposed spaced apart, resilient arms for straddling thething t which the body is attached, the space between said parts beinless than the thickness of said thing; and an element for spacing thearms a distance greater than the thickness of the thing to beidentified, formed to be shifted from its operative position to aninoperative position as the body is being attached, said head extendingbeyond the edge of the said thing for identifying thesame when theindicator is in operative position.

SAMUEL BLOOMFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 303,755 Schwarz et al Aug.-19,1884 1,179,003 Haley Apr. 11, 1916 1,662,175 Thorne a Mar. 13, 19281,746,955 'Messer Feb. 11, 1930 2,043,022 'Iwite June 2, 1936 2,095,817Johnson Oct. 12, 1937 2,173,752 Carrington Sept. 19, 1939

